Are you looking for the best Big Island luaus in Kona? Keep scrolling for my honest review of the Royal Kona Resort luau, a.k.a; the Voyagers of the Pacific luau.
This Royal Kona Resort luau review was written by Hawaii travel expert Marcie Cheung and contains affiliate links, which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.
Looking for an amazing luau on the Big Island of Hawaii? This blog may be the best, most honest Voyagers of the Pacific Lū‘au reviews you’ll ever read.
My family recently experienced the Voyagers of the Pacific Luau at the Royal Kona Resort, and we had a blast! Read my honest review to see if you want to add it to your Hawaii’s Big Island itinerary.
The event beautifully showcased Hawaiian culture and allowed us to immerse ourselves in the most exciting oceanfront luau on the island. We enjoyed traditional dances, sampled traditional island fare, and marveled at the vibrant displays of Hawaiian arts.
The show was great, and we had an amazing time. I recommend this as one of your stops when visiting Hawaii with kids! It’s a great way for everyone in your family (including parents!) to have fun together.
From the lively hula dances to the delicious fresh island fish and sweet potato macaroni salad, there’s something for everyone to enjoy, including vegan options and dairy free dishes for those with dietary needs.
Plus, it’s one of the only oceanfront luaus in Hawaii! The picturesque location, right by Kailua Bay, adds to the charm, ensuring you get breathtaking views while you enjoy the show.
If you want to learn more about our experience in this Royal Kona Luau review, keep reading below! You’ll see why you might want to consider this among the things to do in Kona.
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Big Island Luau FAQs
There are far more luaus in Kailua Kona than in Hilo. Right now, there is only one Hilo luau. So, your best bet is to book a luau experience in Kona that fits into the rest of your Big Island itinerary.
Absolutely! As soon as you enter, there’s an open bar, and staff go around throughout the evening with trays of mai tais and other tropical cocktails. These are all complimentary and included in your luau admission. They also have non alcoholic drinks like soda and fruit punch.
It’s located in the middle of the popular Ali’i Drive strip, about one mile from the Courtyard by Marriott’s King Kamehameha Beach Hotel.
What is a Luau and What Can You Expect at One?
A luau is an evening event that features Hawaiian food, music, and hula dancing. Overall, it is a complete Hawaiian culture experience!
These events typically last a few hours and might include hands-on activities, demonstrations, and audience participation. You may even find unique photo opportunities during these activities.
Many luaus in Hawaii also incorporate dances from other Polynesian islands, like Samoa, Tahiti, and New Zealand. The siva afi (fire knife dance) is a particular highlight at most luaus.
Guests attending a Hawaiian luau usually wear Aloha shirts and dresses (or at least dressy casual). Comfortable footwear like flip flops is ideal for these outdoor events.
And luaus are fun for anyone traveling with family, going on a honeymoon or babymoon, couples, or even solo travelers.
Click here for my full breakdown of what to expect at a luau in Hawaii.
Where are the Voyagers of the Pacific Luau in Kona, Hawaii?
The Voyagers of the Pacific Luau is located at the Royal Kona Resort on the famous Ali’i Drive. This means it’s within walking distance of several Kailua Kona hotels, and its prime location overlooking Kailua Bay makes it a must-see attraction.
What to Expect at the Royal Kona Luau
Arrival
If you’re staying at the Royal Kona Resort, finding the luau is super easy. It’s located between the pool and the Lagoon Tower. You seriously can’t miss it.
If you’re driving, you can get a reduced parking rate of $5 for the night.
The first thing you’ll do is stand in line for check-in. This is where you’ll get wristbands to show you are guests at the Royal Kona Luau. Then, you can write down if you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or other special event.
From there, you’ll get one complimentary photo taken of your party with the gorgeous ocean backdrop before you get in line for cocktails and other drinks. This is also where you can get soda or other non alcoholic drinks for kids or people who do not want cocktails.
Next, you’ll head to the host or hostess, who will take you to your assigned table. When we were there in November 2021, each party had individual tables.
Staff will come around with trays of mai tais and pass out cups of water to anyone who requests them.
Welcome
After you sit down at your table, the emcee will welcome you and give you the opportunity to listen to live Hawaiian music.
The emcee also led the audience in a prayer.
Hula Dancing
While they start dismissing tables to go stand in the luau buffet line, you’ll get to see some hula dancing as the sun sets.
The dancing was beautiful and a great way to entertain the audience before being invited to grab food.
Food/Drinks
I have to say, I’ve been to a lot of luaus in Hawaii, and this might be my FAVORITE luau food ever. My mouth is watering just thinking about all the yummy options. And I’m a self-proclaimed luau snob.
Ok, let me break down the items on the Royal Kona Luau menu. The portions are HUGE, and there’s something for everyone, including vegan options, dairy free dishes, and more.
Green Salad
They had a fairly generic green or mixed green salad with several salad dressing options packed in small containers. This was a nice addition to the buffet menu, especially for those looking for lighter options.
Coconut Roll
This was a fluffy Hawaiian roll with a little container of butter. It paired well with the rest of the Royal Kona Luau menu.
Teriyaki Beef
This was super flavorful and juicy teriyaki beef. It’s the thin kind, compared to the steak, which means more opportunity for the marinade to seep in.
Kalua Pork and Cabbage
Their kalua pork was super flavorful and moist. It’s much better than basically any other luau I’ve ever attended.
Mahi Mahi Fish
They also had their catch of the day. The day we went, it was mahi mahi. It was quite flavorful, making it one of the highlights of the buffet menu.
Potato Macaroni Salad
Okay, I could have eaten an entire bowl of this. It was a typical potato macaroni salad, but it also had purple sweet potatoes in it, and it’s heavenly.
Waipio Valley Poi
I appreciated that their poi wasn’t watered down, like they do at other Hawaii luaus. It was really flavorful and paired nicely with the kalua pork as well as the fresh island fish. You should at least try it!
Fresh Pineapple
They also gave us about 4-5 thin slices of fresh pineapple each. They were super juicy and sweet.
Luau Desserts
We got a little plate with haupia (coconut jello), a slice of Mai Tai cake, and fresh papaya.
Torch Lighting Ceremony
After everyone got their food, they kicked off the show with a torch lighting ceremony. It started near the stage, went through the audience, and then ended back up on stage.
They also danced up there to get everyone jazzed up about the show.
Pareo Fashion Show
As people were finishing up their meal, they did a Polynesian fashion show to highlight a few of the many ways to wear a traditional Polynesian pareo (also called a sarong or lava lava).
This was the first time I’d seen someone make a swimsuit out of it! There were also several cute dresses and even some men’s fashion items.
Luau Entertainment
Tahitian
They kicked off the main luau experience with Tahitian dancing. Usually, luaus do this and make sure the audience knows it’s because people from Hawaii originally came from Tahiti.
The dancing was great, and both men and women were incorporated into the show.
They also danced to the tiare flower, which ended with a soloist performing a mesmerizing dance.
Hula Kahiko
Next up was the ancient style of hula dancing called Hula Kahiko. The performers danced to a chant about when the fire goddess Pele asked her sister Hi’iaka to head to Kauai to get her lover Lohiau.
Taught the Audience How to Honi
This was one of my favorite parts of this Kona luau, and I’ve never seen this done at a luau before. The emcee taught everyone how to give a traditional Hawaiian honi.
Basically, two people press their foreheads and noses together and take a deep breath. My son and I practiced it a lot, which might become our new thing when snuggling.
Tuamotu Islands
Another unique aspect of this Big Island, Hawaii luau was that it featured a dance from the Tuamotu islands, similar to Tahitian dancing.
Cook Islands
I love that this Kona luau also featured a dance from the Cook Islands. They aren’t very visible in most Hawaiian luaus, so that was fun to see!
Emcee Announced Birthdays, Anniversaries, etc.
There was a pause in the dancing for the emcee to read off the names of people celebrating special events. This part was much longer than I expected.
Hawaiian Wedding Song
After they congratulated all the newlyweds, honeymooners, and people celebrating anniversaries, a hula dancer came out to perform the Hawaiian Wedding Song. This was made popular by Elvis in Blue Hawaii.
Hula Auana
They did another modern hula dance, but this time, they used hula implements (instruments used while dancing).
Maori Haka
Next up was New Zealand. It started off with men performing a traditional Haka. This is what most people have seen during football and rugby matches.
Maori Poi Balls
They also showed the women dancing with poi balls. It started with the short poi balls and ended with double poi balls.
Samoan Fire Knife Dancing
The grand finale of the evening was the siva afi, also known as the Samoan fire knife dance. It was super impressive; he even had two knives going.
Farewell
After the Samoan fire dancing, it was time to say goodbye. The audience was invited to stand near the stage and take selfies with the cast members.
They did a great job grouping a few men and a few women together so people could split the line.
Why I Went to this Big Island Luau
I’ve been to many luaus on Kauai, Maui, and Oahu, so I was curious how this Big Island luau compared with them. I had always heard that the luaus on the Big Island are less fancy.
Part of the reason we stayed at the Royal Kona Resort was that they had their own luau on-site. I wanted to see what it was like to walk back up to our room instead of carrying a sleepy 5-year-old to the car and then to a hotel room.
Plus, the Royal Kona Luau uses Tihati Productions, which produces several other Big Island luaus.
How Do the Voyagers of the Pacific Luau Compare to Other Hawaii Luaus?
I want to start by stating that kids ages five and younger are FREE. This is awesome because most luaus only offer free admission to kids ages two and younger. This can save you a lot of money.
The Royal Kona luau menu was outstanding. If it were a restaurant, I would have returned the next day. It’s seriously flavorful!
They asked everyone to arrive by 4:45 p.m., but they didn’t really serve food until 6 p.m. When we went in November 2021, there were no activities, crafts, or things to do while waiting for food.
So, my 5-year-old was already starting to get bored before dinner, and then he was ready to leave halfway into the show.
I appreciated that the luau was over by about 7:30 pm. Sometimes, luaus are really late, and that’s hard for younger kids or when dealing with jet lag from the mainland.
The show itself was pretty good. Nothing really outstanding or memorable, but the complimentary photo and engaging performances like the siva afi made it worth attending.
Oh, but they put up a big net before they did the Samoan fire knife dancing. They said it was a liability thing, and I’m guessing it’s because the front tables were really close to the stage. I’ve just never seen that done before.
So, Would I Recommend the Royal Kona Resort Luau?
I enjoyed the Voyagers of the Pacific Luau at the Royal Kona Resort. I’d absolutely recommend it for families staying there or nearby. It’s super convenient, and the food is outstanding.
It’s the best luau in Kona for people at the Royal Kona Resort or those looking for an accessible evening filled with Hawaiian culture.
The setting overlooking Kailua Bay is stunning, especially as the sun sets, creating an unforgettable backdrop for the evening.
If you’ve never been to a Hawaiian luau, this is a great one to try. They provide an overview of a few Hawaiian traditions, highlight several Polynesian cultures, and make it easy to sit back and enjoy the entertainment. Check the latest rates and availability.